Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
Disobedience: Jonah 1:3
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
The Wrath (displeasure of God against sin) of God: Jonah 1:4
4 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
A Despondent Attitude towards the CALL – Joan 1:5 b
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
Leadership Must Respond in time of Crisis – Jonah 1:6- 8
6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
Jonah’s Religious Attitude to Sin – Jonah 1:9
9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Leaders must not Cover Up Sin. They must demand for Accountability – Jonah 1:10-11
10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
Jonah’s Attitude of Fatalism – Jonah 1:12
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
Human Effort & Sacrifices Are Never A Substitute for Genuine Repentance – Jonah 1:13
.Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
Prayer & Restorative Action – Jonah 1:14-26
Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lordexceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
Divine Providence Kicked In – Jonah 1:17
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Finally, some form of Change in Jonah’s Attitude – He prayed to the Lord his God! – Jonah 2/1-
1.Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God.
7 “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.
8 “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”
Godwin Forgives the Retuning Prophet; Divine Providence – Jonah 2:10
10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
The Bible did not give us the details of the journey or the kind of fish, but we
that the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Not a nice experience!
The Lord most certainly prevented the enzymes in the belly of the fish from causing the decay or destruction of his flesh. It’s the mercy of the Lord.
Note:
Pride and personal reputation were uppermost on Jonah’s mind. Jonah exalted his ministry above the giver of the ministry.
He knew that the call was from the Lord, but he would rather disobey even to the point of asking to be thrown into the sea.
What Should Be Our Attitude?
Paul instructed Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind..
Fear (timidity) in this context is timidity. It is the fear of STEPPING OUT to do the counsel of the Lord because one is afraid of what might happen when he or she launches out in faith to the unknown.
This timidity has caused many to disregard, ignore, disobey or circumvent a direct instruction from the Lord.
I was fifteen when the Lord called me into the ministry field. The instruction was pretty clear.
I was afraid on the spot that He wouldn’t let me go to University, but will be sent to the mission field right away. Poor doctrines and teachings made me think in that way.
Immediately, I responded to the CALL, but asked the Lord in prayer to please let me acquire University education, at lesser, my BA. He knew that I needed the training as part of my equipping for the fulfillment of the assignment. He allowed me.
Fear may be misguided. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Last modified: August 13, 2024